Spirits and ghosts live almost everywhere in Thailand. Most
large trees are said to have a ghost or spirit living inside of it
and old trees are held in particular respect. The favourite place
for female ghosts to live is in a banana grove. There are many
species of banana plants in Thailand, but a 'tani' banana grove is
the preferred haunting place.
Seen and unseen forces operate in daily Thai life. Flowers,
incense, or food is placed in front of shops, on the bows of boats,
in front of Buddhist icons and spirit houses. Brightly-coloured
ribbon is wrapped around trees or other objects. These are all
offerings to the spirits that reside there. A cement pole near my
house receives many gifts. There have been too many accidents at
this pole and local residents are trying to placate its bad spirit.
Keep your eyes open for these offerings when in Thailand and you
will be amazed at how many you see.
When I told my Thai girlfriend at work I was writing about ghosts
and spirits she exclaimed, "Oh! Even when you just say the word
'ghost' the hair on my arm stands straight up! Look!" Indeed, every
hair on her arm was in the vertical position.
Most Thais wear one amulet or more. Amulets are medallions that
both men and women wear around their necks and which they believe
will protect them from harm or provide them with other forms of
assistance. A monk might tell you that the amulet is worn only as a
reminder of Buddha's Teachings, not for protection Different
amulets have different powers. Some help the wearer attract women
while others offer protection against weapons. All amulets offer
well-being to the wearer and help keep bad spirits away. Most
amulets are given away at temples but there are some amulets which,
for a variety of reasons, become very expensive over time. The
reasons for this can range from simple popularity to the belief
that certain amulets have very strong powers.
There are many tattooed men. Tattoos are often religious passages
or religious symbols that offer protection to the wearer. The more
superstitious the person, the more tattoos they are apt to have.
The properties of tattoos are believed to be similar to those of
amulets in the sense that they can offer protection from harm and
can been seen as attractive. Tattoos have more recently become
modern fashion for some of the men and women who wear them.
'Yan' is the drawing of religious mystical symbols to protect the
area from ghosts and bad spirits. Most automobiles, taxis, and
busses are adorned with 'yan' and amulets to ensure safe trips.
'Yan' is also painted on the doors of houses to keep unwanted and
unseen visitors outside.
Antiques are something that foreigners constantly seek out in
Thailand. I have discovered that very often, Thai people absolutely
do not want to possess objects that belong to a deceased person for
fear of having the previous owner's ghost attached to the object.
"Oh! Look at that beautiful desk! It would look wonderful in my
living room!" my friend exclaimed at an antique shop to her Thai
companion. "I would never buy that," he answered. "I would think of
the person who had to work at that desk everyday. I would wonder if
they were happy then and if they are happy now."
Asking around about ghosts provided the stories that follow.
Puthamonton is a town famous for its haunted bamboo grove. This
bamboo grove is on the grounds of the Buddha Park so many monks
reside and meditate there. Recently a novice monk became possessed
by a ghost and was exorcised by other monks. Reports in Thai
newspapers make this common knowledge to most people.
Supanburi is the home to a famous Thai country music singer Phum
Phuang who died about eight years ago. When the villagers saw her
ghost walking around they decided to build a shrine for her. This
shrine now draws hundreds of people who try to receive winning
lottery numbers from the deceased.
A cup filled with bamboo sticks with numbers written on them is
shaken until a lucky stick falls to the ground. As the Thai
national lottery occurs on the 1st and 16th of every month, this
shrine is quite active in the days before the drawing. Pictures of
this event were recently on the front page of a local Thai
newspaper.
Fortune-tellers, mediums, and psychics get a lot of business in
Thailand. They are not only consulted for winning lottery numbers,
but also auspicious dates on which to conduct an event, or for
advice in general life and love decisions.
A young couple who lived north of Ayutthaya recently committed
suicide by hanging themselves. The woman was six months pregnant. A
letter from the wife requested that the couple be cremated
together. When the family tried to arrange this, two local temples
refused to do so. Everyone was terrified that the couple would rise
from the dead. They feared it was the ghost of Naan Naak returning
again. A surgeon was called in and the baby was removed from the
mother before the cremation could take place.